The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted. — D.H. Lawrence

The Gallup Poll election eve results resemble nothing ever seen in the modern era of political polling.

The final Gallup Poll before President Obama’s first midterm elections Tuesday indicates Republicans are poised to reap historic gains in the House of Representatives, possibly electing twice as many new members as they need to seize control of the chamber where financial legislation originates.

Gallup’s latest findings this morning predict Republicans will easily gain the necessary 39 seats to seize control of the House regardless of voter turnout. They predict a minimum GOP gain of 60 seats “with gains well beyond that possible.” That kind of rout would be the worst shellacking of a president’s party in a half-century.

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At the New York Times, Nate Silver points out five reasons that Republican gains could turn out larger than previous polling has predicted.